Picture the church like a potluck where the Holy Spirit handles the guest list. You never know who might show up. That’s the kind of table Jesus sets during Holy Week—and this year, we’re helping set it too.
This month, every gathering at church is an invitation: to return, to trust, to share, to surrender, to rise. We are a growing community alive with Christ, energized to share God’s transforming love.
An Invitation to Walk With Jesus
The path through Holy Week leads us through the very center of our faith.
- Maundy Thursday – April 17, 7 p.m. We gather around the Lord’s Table to remember the night Jesus took bread and poured wine. He gave a new commandment and showed what love looks like when it humbles itself to serve. Our service includes communion, reflection, and space to listen for what Christ is still saying.
- Good Friday – April 18, 9 a.m. to noon The sanctuary will be open for silent vigil. No music. No sermon. Just stillness and the cross. This is a time to release what we’ve carried too long—losses we can’t fix, burdens we can’t name. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
- Holy Saturday The tomb is sealed and we wait in the quiet. Not with answers, but with hope.
- Easter Sunday – April 20 New life begins again. We’ll gather for Sunday School at 9:15 and celebrate worship at 10:30 with full hearts and wide-open praise. The stone is rolled away. Joy breaks in.
An Invitation to Stay Awake
This year’s Holy Week devotions center around the parables of Jesus. Each day from April 13–20 offers a fresh voice and faithful reflection written by our church staff. The stories of mustard seeds, coins, and vineyards draw us deeper into the mystery of God’s kingdom. Use them to pause, reflect, and stay open to the Spirit’s work. They’re printed to pass to a neighbor, emailed for quick forwarding, and posted online for easy sharing.
An Invitation to Lay It Down
Good Friday gives us space to let go. If you’re holding something you no longer need to carry—regret, resentment, uncertainty—this is the moment to bring it to the cross. Christ is still receiving what we surrender. If you can’t attend in person, contact the church office for a digital guide. You can keep vigil wherever you are.
An Invitation to Celebrate
Palm Sunday brings joy to the lawn. Our EGG-Stravaganza begins at 4:00 p.m. on April 13, with games, snacks, music, and a Bible story for children and families. Yates Youth & Kids will join with CDC families and friends for a true community celebration. We’re inviting everyone we can think of—and there’s still room for more. Please bring plastic eggs by April 10 so the WEE Committee can fill them with treats. If you’d like to help or just be part of the fun, contact the church office.
An Invitation to Show Up
That same Easter joy will show up again later that evening, behind the walls of Orange County Correctional Center. A team from Yates will gather with the men of OCC from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. to sing, pray, and celebrate resurrection in a place that knows what hope feels like. This is how we carry Easter beyond the building. This is how we follow Jesus. If you’re interested in joining us, email me at christopher@yateschurch.org.
An Invitation to Give Big
Throughout April, we’ll receive offerings for the CBF Global Missions Offering and the Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions. Our goal is $5,000. These gifts support people who are bringing the good news of Jesus to places we may never see—faithful witnesses who remind us the church is bigger than any one congregation. “How can they hear unless someone preaches to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?” (Rom 10:14–15). Let’s give generously and send well.
An Invitation to Make Space
On Saturday, April 5, we’ll roll up our sleeves for a church-wide workday. We’ll clean, plant, rake, and repair—not just to maintain our space, but to ready it for welcome. This is part of our invitation too. We shape the space where people meet God. Come lend a hand. We’ll have plenty of tasks and a few good donuts.
An Invitation to Keep Going
This month will stretch us—in the best way. You’ll worship, pray, serve, clean, sing, share, and show up. That’s not just a calendar full of events. That’s resurrection at work.
This is what it means to be people of the invitation. We say yes to grace, to beauty, to community, to calling. And we help others say yes, too.
So come. Bring someone. Show up heart-first.
Let’s see what God does with a church that opens its doors—and its life.
Grace & Peace,